ANNUAL REVIEW 2015Mountaineering Ireland

Working for and representing

walkers and climbers

www.mountaineering.ie

Mountaineering Ireland Limited is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in Dublin No 199053.Registered Office: Irish Sport HQ, National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland.

ContaCt Details

staff (irish sport hQ, Dublin 15)

Ruairí Ó Conchúir, Chief Executive Officer Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1115 ruairi@mountaineering.ie

Terry Canavan, Accounts Administrator Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1115

Ruth Whelan, Office Manager Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1115 info@mountaineering.ie

Helen Lawless, Hillwalking, Access & Conservation Officer Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1103 helen@mountaineering.ie

Jane Carney, Training Officer Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1112 jane@mountaineering.ie

Rozanne Bell, Membership Development Officer Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1112 rozanne@mountaineering.ie

Damien O’Sullivan, Talent Development Officer Telephone 00 353 (0)1 625 1117 damien@mountaineering.ie

Jason King / Michelle Hardie Murphy, Get Ireland Walking Programme Telephone 00 353 (0) 1 6251109 jason@getirelandwalking.ie /michelle@getirelandwalking.ie

staff (tollymore national outDoor Centre, County Down)

Anne Kane, Youth Development Coordinator anne@mountaineering.ie Telephone 028 (048 from RoI) 4372 5354

mountaineerinG irelanD boarD anD sub Committees mountaineerinG irelanD boarD 2015Ursula MacPherson, President Ross Millar, Chairperson Nicky Hore, Honorary Treasurer Irene Sorohan, Honorary Secretary Paul Barron David Batt Frank Bradley Maeve McKeever Ruairí Ó Conchúir (to June 2015) Mike Maunsell (from June 2015) Patrick O’Sullivan Dawson Stelfox Una Vejsbjerg Shay Walsh

borD oiliúint sléibhe/irish mountain traininG boarD members 2015Shay Walsh, Chairperson Andy Callan Niall Ennis Colin Gibbon Ronan Lenihan Colette Mahon Charlie McManus Sinead Pollock Orr Orla Prendergast Jane Carney, Technical Officer Rozanne Bell, Secretary

mountain traininG irelanD transitional Group

Paul Barron, Mountaineering Ireland, Chairperson Jane Carney, Mountaineering Ireland Trevor Fisher, Sport Northern Ireland Orla Prendergast, Bord Oiliúint Sléibhe Trevor Quinn, Mountain Training Northern Ireland

aCCess & Conservation Committee members 2015

Ruairí Ó Conchúir, Chairperson (to June 2015) Mike Maunsell, Chairperson (from June 2015) Jack Bergin Pat Ewen Vincent McAlinden Peter Norton Frank Nugent Ena Rafferty Helen Lawless, Secretary

Contents

mountaineerinG irelanD annual review 2015 2

Chairperson’s aDDress 3

aCCess anD Conservation 4

youth 8

talent Development 10

mountain traininG anD safe praCtiCe 12

CommuniCations anD serviCes 14

external representation anD list of affiliateD Clubs 17

mountaineerinG irelanD annual review 2015

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“ throughout 2015, mountaineering

ireland has continued to transform as an organisation, with

a strong level of engagement at a club and

community level. the organisation’s

volunteer ethos continued to be at the core of

all of mountaineering ireland’s activities. ”

Mountaineering Ireland gratefully acknowledges the funding it receives from

Sport Ireland (formerly the Irish Sports Council) and the Women in Sport programme of Sport

Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland, Healthy Ireland for Get Ireland Walking programme and the

NIEA Challenge Fund.

The past year was one of significant delivery for Mountaineering Ireland. The organisation continued to develop to become more effective and responsive to the needs of members. New communication tools were developed and information and advice to club and individual members has been made more accessible. This has included skills training videos and specific issue videos, which have been extremely well received. A new digital log was developed for the training programme. A new club handbook was developed and launched at the Autumn Gathering. The organisation’s social media profile on Facebook and YouTube has been greatly enhanced thanks in large part to the new skills videos.

It was also a year of change. Mountaineering Ireland’s CEO, Karl Boyle, resigned in the early part 2015 to return home to the West of Ireland to take up work. Karl was at the helm of Mountaineering Ireland for five years and brought about great change.

Throughout 2015, Mountaineering Ireland has continued to transform as an organisation, with a strong level of engagement at a club and community level. The organisation’s volunteer ethos continued to be at the core of all of Mountaineering Ireland’s activities.

Significant progress was achieved in 2015 on Mountaineering Ireland’s mission including new partnerships with other similar bodies, including MountainViews. Closer working relationships have been developed with other national governing bodies and with other organisations, including the Irish Girl Guides Association. Much progress has also been achieved on the implementation of the core objectives of the current Strategic Development Plan, namely:

1. To represent the interests of walkers and climbers;

2. To be a voice for Ireland’s mountains; to protect and encourage responsible and sustainable use of the mountain environment;

3. To improve and secure ongoing access to those places we use in Ireland;

4. To maintain high standards in mountain training and support skills development;

5. To support and promote the participation of all age groups, especially youth, in every aspect of mountaineering;

6. To provide a talent development pathway to high performance, and;

7. To promote a spirit of adventure and self-reliance.

A range of actions to support members and to attract new members into hillwalking, climbing and mountaineering have been outlined in this annual review. Of particular note is work regarding youth development and climbing, training and skills development, Helping the Hills and the review of Comhairle Na Tuaithe. The organisation has also seen growth and development in the implementation of the Get Ireland Walking Programme with two new staff employed. This programme focuses on walking as a pathway to the concept of sport for all, with lifelong participation and enjoyment.

I would like to pay tribute to the Westport Hillwalking Club and the Irish Ramblers Club for their respective hosting of the hugely enjoyable AGM and Spring Gathering in Westport in March 2015 and Autumn Gathering in Glendalough in October 2015. With the continued success of online club renewals and registrations it is appropriate and right to thank all club administrators and club committees. Thanks are also due to Mountaineering Ireland representatives to other organisations, coaches and a great many others who contributed hugely during 2015. Their massive voluntary contribution is greatly appreciated. In particular, the contribution of the volunteers and participants involved in the Talent Development Programme and the Youth Alpine Initiative throughout 2015 is recognised and celebrated.

Mountaineering Ireland’s membership at the end of the 2015 club year (31/10/2015) numbered 11,500, with 184 clubs and 1,400 individual members.

Ruairí Ó Conchúir, Chief Executive Officer

Chairperson’s aDDress

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“ some of the key highlights of 2015 included the success of individual climbers emerging from the talent Development programme, our winter and summer meets, the women with altitude initiative and the success of the youth alpine initiative and notably the wonderful achievements of the participants and volunteers in switzerland in July. ”

It has been a great pleasure to serve as Chairperson of the Board of Mountaineering Ireland for the past four years. The Board is comprised of highly committed individuals who have given their knowledge and expertise freely to the organisation and the development of mountaineering on the island of Ireland. I feel deeply honoured to serve with such gifted Board members. It is also an honour to be part of an organisation with committed volunteers who give generously of their time across all areas of the organisation’s work.

Mountaineering Ireland is also fortunate to have exceptional and committed staff in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These staff members have taken forward the implementation of the Strategic Development Plan 2014-2017 in a real and meaningful way.

I wish to convey my deep appreciation to our funders in Sport Ireland (formerly the Irish Sports Council) and Sport Northern Ireland. Our core funders have shown trust and commitment to Mountaineering Ireland as a national governing body throughout the recent difficult recessionary time. This has allowed Mountaineering Ireland to develop and grow.

Mountaineering Ireland’s staff have continued to work hard to grow the organisation and expand the wider membership base. This work takes place in the context of the current Strategic Development Plan. Our mission is to represent and support the walkers and climbers of Ireland and to be a voice for the sustainable use of Ireland’s mountains and hills and all the places (coastline, crags, forests) we use.

Mountaineering Ireland’s membership base, at a club and individual level, in their continuing support has facilitated the organisation to develop new services and supports as outlined in some detail in this Annual Review.

Some of the key highlights of 2015 included the success of individual climbers emerging from the Talent Development Programme, our Winter and Summer Meets, the Women with Altitude initiative and the success of the Youth Alpine Initiative and notably the wonderful achievements of the participants and volunteers in Switzerland in July. Other highlights of the year included the annual Oireachtas hillwalking event held in Leenane. This attracted a large number of Oireachtas members and was a useful opportunity for Mountaineering Ireland to convey some of the challenges faced by those living and working and those who recreate in the uplands. All of this work was possible through the commitment of staff and volunteers.

Throughout 2015 Mountaineering Ireland continued to forge new relationships with commercial providers. This has benefited our members as well as an enhanced revenue stream to The Irish Mountain Log. Our flagship quarterly publication continues to grow and prosper and I would like to acknowledge the unfailing commitment of Patrick O’Sullivan and the wider editorial team as well as contributors.

In 2015, two members of staff, Karl Boyle and Grainne Quinn departed; Karl returned to the West of Ireland and Grainne stepped down to spend more time with her family. I wish them both the very best.

Finally, I wish all Mountaineering Ireland members an adventurous and healthy 2016.

Ross Millar, Chairperson

a voiCe for irelanD’s mountains

mountaineerinG irelanD’s aimMany walkers and climbers would agree that the integrity of the upland environment is central to the quality of our recreation experience. Ireland has a very limited stock of mountains and other wild lands. The quality and special character of these places is being altered all the time by changes in land use, including changes associated with recreation activity. Mountaineering Ireland’s aim is to be one of the voices for the protection and sustainable use of Ireland’s mountains, hills and all the places (coastline, crags, forests) we use.

lanDsCape matters

In addition to supporting recreation activity, Ireland’s landscape sustains us in every way possible, providing food, water, income, sense of identity and more. As the Heritage Council, a body that has long championed landscape policy, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015 it is fitting that this year brought some progress on landscape matters on both sides of the border.

At the end of May, Minister Heather Humphreys launched Ireland’s National Landscape Strategy 2015-2025. The strategy starts a process to embed

landscape considerations in policy-making, helping to protect, manage and plan Ireland’s landscapes.

Concerns remain regarding the implementation of the National Landscape Strategy. In June Mountaineering Ireland made a stimulating presentation at a National Landscape Forum and later in the year we participated in a Heritage Council Working Group to identify priority actions from the strategy.

The Northern Ireland Land Matters Task Force, of which Mountaineering Ireland is a member, published a report in May making the case to the Northern Ireland Executive for a Northern Ireland Land Strategy. The vision of such a strategy would be to provide a framework to manage conflicting policy priorities and balance competing demands on land.

winDfarms

2015 brought an unprecedented number of windfarm applications to Mountaineering Ireland’s attention. Each of these was considered against Mountaineering Ireland’s Built Development policy and where the Access & Conservation Committee felt the development was of concern, consultation took place with local affiliated clubs.

aCCess anD Conservation

Mountaineering Ireland’s work on access and conservation focuses on two strategic objectives:

To be a voice for Ireland’s mountains; to protect and encourage responsible and sustainable use of the mountain environment;

To improve and secure ongoing access to Ireland’s mountains and hills and all the places (coastlines, crags and forests) we use.

During 2015 Mike Maunsell succeeded Ruairí Ó Conchúir as Chair of Mountaineering Ireland’s Access & Conservation Committee. Many Mountaineering Ireland members contribute to our work towards the above objectives, through committee roles and personal action to protect access and the mountain environment. This collective effort is vital if Mountaineering Ireland is to deliver on its objectives.

The access and conservation work of Mountaineering Ireland volunteers is supported by our staff, including a full-time Hillwalking, Access & Conservation Officer, Helen Lawless.

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This process resulted in Mountaineering Ireland submitting objections to five windfarms, two of which have since been refused permission:

Ballymanus, Co. Wicklow – This application for twelve 150m-high turbines in south Wicklow generated significant local opposition (438 submissions), the application was refused on grounds of visual intrusion and the developer did not appeal.

Carrickaduff, Co. Donegal – Mountaineering Ireland objected to this 49-turbine development because of its scale and how it would dominate and industrialise a scenic rural landscape near the Barnesmore Gap. The application is still being considered by An Bord Pleanála.

Gruggandoo, Co. Down – The first application for a significant windfarm within the Mourne AONB (twelve 125m turbines); concerns included landscape impact and how the development would affect recreation and tourism activity. The Planning Service is still evaluating the application.

Russellstown, Co. Waterford – Waterford County Council refused this application for eight 127m turbines in the north-west of the Comeraghs. The developer appealed to An Bord Pleanála and Mountaineering Ireland made a submission. The Board refused permission as the development would have constituted a visually dominant feature in a vulnerable scenic landscape.

Lisnaharney, Co. Tyrone – In the latest stage of this application for fourteen

125m turbines in the Sperrins AONB near Omagh, Mountaineering Ireland submitted a statement of case and presented this to the Planning Appeals Commission. The Robbers Table Walk which includes two public rights of way is part of the site. A decision is due in spring 2016.

mahon valley

In September a member notified Mountaineering Ireland of a 4 metre wide ‘roadway’ newly excavated for almost 3km along by the Mahon river in the Comeraghs. It emerged that this project led by a local community group, and part-funded by Waterford City & County Council, was to extend the Crough Wood Walk up to the Mahon Falls. Work was stopped by the Council just below the Falls as the development, which was in a Special Area of Conservation, did not have planning permission and no environmental assessment had been carried out.

Mountaineering Ireland met with the Council to express concerns, particularly about the landscape impact of the development. The Council acknowledged it to be an unauthorised development, and a serious matter, but has yet to decide its course of action.

It seems that work was ongoing in the Mahon valley for a couple of months during summer 2015. A clear lesson from this situation is that had the excavations been reported sooner much unnecessary damage and expense could have been prevented.

helpinG the hills

Throughout 2015 Mountaineering Ireland continued its work under the Helping the Hills initiative, advocating a quality approach to the management of upland path erosion and making an input to a number of projects. In September Mountaineering Ireland submitted a proposal to the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government (DECLG) for a partnership-based approach to building capacity to deal with the growing problem of trampling and path erosion in Ireland’s upland areas. Discussions with DECLG, the National Trails Office and Fáílte Ireland are ongoing.

Errigal – In response to local concern about worsening erosion on the south eastern approach to Errigal, Donegal County Council revived the Errigal Stakeholder Group at the beginning of 2015 and invited Mountaineering Ireland to join. A study was commissioned to get expert advice on the management of erosion on Errigal. The study recommends a sensitively constructed path up towards the saddle and zig-zags on the steeper ground so that the path will be more stable and sustainable. Restoration of damaged habitats is also included.

Galtees – a survey assessing path condition on the Galtees, conducted in October, recommended a programme of light-touch work to prevent further erosion and also made suggestions as to how walkers could reduce pressure on the Galtees (published in Irish Mountain Log, winter 2015). The process included consultation with landowners and representatives from local walking clubs.

MacGillycuddy Reeks – The MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Forum carried out a comprehensive path survey in the spring and work is ongoing to develop detailed plans for the repair of priority routes. The survey findings were presented to Mountaineering Ireland members in May. Latterly the Forum secured funding under the CEDRA programme to train local landowners in path repair skills. The first work carried out by the group, which has generated positive feedback, can be seen where the Cronin’s Yard path rises to join the Lisleibane track.

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Sliabh Liag - Donegal County Council has procured advice on how to remediate the unsuccessful path work done at Sliabh Liag; the recommended works should go to tender in spring 2016.

Croagh Patrick - In July Mountaineering Ireland highlighted the need for erosion control on Croagh Patrick and wrote to Mayo County Council urging development of a management plan and the introduction of a properly funded programme of path repair work to protect the mountain from further degradation.

aGri-environment proposals

During 2015 the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) confirmed that a small number of locally-led agri-environment schemes, modelled on the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme will be included in the Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020. While these schemes are not yet in place, this is a welcome acknowledgment that farming activity on lands which have a high conservation value, but a low output in commodity terms, should be rewarded for the ecosystem services and public goods it delivers. This was an objective of the multi-stakeholder Uplands Working Group initiated by Mountaineering Ireland in 2012, and while on a limited scale under the current programme its impact could be greater post-2020.

Following a request for clarification from Mountaineering Ireland, it was pleasing to see that DAFM’s land eligibility guidelines published in May 2015 made clear that the fencing of previously unfenced mountain land is not required to access farm payments, provided the land continues to be farmed in the traditional manner and in compliance with EU regulations.

enCouraGinG responsible useRespect for the wonderful, but fragile environment we enjoy is one of Mountaineering Ireland’s core values. In 2015 we undertook a range of activities with the aim of building understanding and inspiring responsible practice amongst walkers and climbers.

Club environmental offiCers

Mountaineering Ireland actively encourages all affiliated clubs to appoint an Environmental Officer who can help to raise environmental awareness within the club and act as a point of contact for Mountaineering Ireland. In turn we provide email updates, advice and training workshops. In a concerted effort to activate more members, Mountaineering Ireland held a total of seven Environmental Workshops in 2015. With workshops in Cork, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Wicklow, and a total of 93 participants, information shared during these events should reach thousands of members. If your club hasn’t connected with this network, please get in touch.

from roCks to riDGes

In partnership with Ulster University and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland Mountaineering Ireland produced From Rocks to Ridges, an attractive guide to the rocks, soils and landforms that make up the mountain areas of the north of Ireland. From Rocks to Ridges was funded under the Northern Ireland Environment Agency NGO Challenge Fund 2015, to help us identify and appreciate the rock types and landscape features that enhance our walking and climbing activities. In October, Paul Dunlop and Peter Wilson from Ulster University brought the guide to life during a lecture evening and field trip in Donegal for club representatives and training providers.

new viDeos

To complement Mountaineering Ireland’s suite of skills videos, in 2015 we added two good practice videos. One of these provides a refreshing glimpse into the lives of three west of Ireland hillfarmers, who speak openly about walkers, access and the mountains. The other features practical tips to help walkers reduce their impact on the hills. Both videos are available on Mountaineering Ireland’s Youtube channel and make useful resources for training courses.

leave no traCe

Leave No Trace awareness helps every person who uses the outdoors see how they can make a positive difference when they do their activities, by making choices such as walking on durable ground, picking up litter, respecting nesting birds and giving a friendly wave to a farmer. The Leave No Trace approach is embedded in Mountaineering Ireland’s training schemes, events and publications.

Being a partner in Leave No Trace Ireland allows Mountaineering Ireland to promote responsible enjoyment of Ireland’s outdoors in cooperation with many other organisations. During 2015 Mountaineering Ireland volunteers and staff contributed to a variety of Leave No Trace projects including new resources and training guidelines for Trainers, a good practice leaflet for dog owners and a Trainers’ CPD day focused on litter.

improvinG anD seCurinG aCCess

mountaineerinG irelanD’s aim

As the national representative body for walkers and climbers, Mountaineering Ireland’s policy is that we are seeking reasonable access for responsible users. Our aim is to have open, unrestricted access on foot to unenclosed hills, mountains and coastal areas throughout Ireland. Where there isn’t access directly from the road, it should be achieved by routes around or through the fields out onto the open hillside.

Mountaineering Ireland pursues its access aim through engagement with Government departments and

agencies and through our involvement in organisations such as Comhairle na Tuaithe.

mountain aCCess proJeCt

Comhairle na Tuaithe’s pilot Mountain Access Project aims to provide certainty of access to defined upland areas based on a voluntary agreement with all landowners in the area. In 2015 Mountaineering Ireland continued to contribute to Comhairle’s Steering Group for the Mountain Access Project, in particular helping to compile a toolkit to support extension of the project to other areas. Disappointingly progress on the project was limited due to delays in securing the indemnity for participating landowners which is a key feature of the project.

Despite the delays, work continued in the two pilot areas, Binn Shleibhe near Clonbur and the MacGillycuddy Reeks in Co. Kerry.

review of Comhairle na tuaithe

In spring 2015 the Rural Recreation Section in DECLG commissioned a review of Comhairle na Tuaithe and the implementation of its National Countryside Recreation Strategy (published 2006). Mountaineering Ireland engaged fully with the process by providing background information to the consultant and making comprehensive responses to draft reports. The review brought the benefits of Comhairle into focus, but also highlighted shortcomings in Comhairle’s effectiveness and outputs.

Regarding access, Mountaineering Ireland’s response to the review noted the need for a simpler and more proactive approach which is capable of being widely replicated. The report of the review recommends the formation of a more coherent structure to guide the development of outdoor recreation in Ireland and the preparation of a new national outdoor recreation strategy. Mountaineering Ireland has called for both these recommendations to be acted upon without delay.

aCCess aDviCe

We urge Mountaineering Ireland members to contact us for advice and support when concerns arise regarding access. As well as helping people enjoy their activities, this flow of information ensures that Mountaineering Ireland’s work at national level to secure access is based on a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the situation on the ground.

representation on other orGanisationsThrough combining local knowledge with the strength of a national body, Mountaineering Ireland aims to positively influence the development and management of areas that matter to our members. With the addition of two members to the Leitrim Walking Working Group, Mountaineering Ireland now has 20 voluntary representatives on other organisations.

Mountaineering Ireland’s international representation increased considerably in 2015 with the appointment of Jack Bergin to the UIAA Access Commission and Mike Maunsell to the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission. These connections should benefit Mountaineering Ireland by improving our understanding of how access and conservation challenges are resolved in other countries.

Further information is available on www.mountaineering.ie, in the Irish Mountain Log and on Helen Lawless’ Facebook page. Mountaineering Ireland thanks all those who are sharing enthusiasm for, and working to protect, Ireland’s upland areas.

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youth Underpinning Mountaineering Ireland’s youth programme are the core objectives:

To support and promote the participation of all age groups, especially youth, in every aspect of mountaineering, and

To promote a spirit of adventure and self-reliance.

During 2015 Mountaineering Ireland continued to progress these core objectives and co-ordinated a wide range of programmes in 2015. These included the Youth Climbing Series, Youth Alpine Initiative, Youth Trad camps, and support for clubs with a focus on youth. Mountaineering Ireland also continued to encourage clubs to provide youth opportunities within traditional hillwalking clubs.

safeGuarDinG

During the course of 2015 Mountaineering Ireland finalised and adopted its Safeguarding Policy. The review included new legislative positions in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, best practices in safeguarding and appropriate reporting procedures. Paul Kellagher, Mountaineering Ireland’s Safeguarding Officer drafted a Safeguarding Policy that, following Board consideration and membership feedback, was adopted at the 2015 Mountaineering Ireland AGM.

youth Camps

A number of successful climbing camps for young club members were coordinated by Mountaineering Ireland in 2015. For some young climbers it was their first step progressing from indoor wall climbing to real rock.

The Youth Development Co-Ordinator worked closely with both young climbers and also coaches to bring together several climbing trips. Two of these trips were in Glendalough bouldering that enabled one of the young climbers set a new route.

The week long residential was held in the Burren, Co. Clare. During this trip the focus was to steer young climbers into independent climbing, climbing harder routes with confidence and learning/improving their leading skills. All residentials give young climbers the opportunity to be mentored by experienced instructors and allow them to progress their skills in a well supervised environment.

Coaches from all over Ireland attended these events, which included: Mike Smith; Rob Hunter; Claire Hardy; Vicki Cleary; James Hale; Jonathan Redmond; Angela Carlin; Michal Lemanski and Kevin Kilroy.

loCal sChools & hotroCk ClimbinG wall

Mountaineering Ireland’s Youth Development Coordinator continued to manage the Hotrock Schools’ project at the Hotrock Wall at Tollymore National

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“ During 2015 mountaineering ireland continued to progress these core objectives

and co-ordinated a wide range of programmes in 2015. these included the

youth Climbing series, youth alpine initiative, youth trad camps, and support for clubs with

a focus on youth and the recruitment of youth.”

Outdoor Centre linking schools from the Mourne area. In total there were over 300 sessions with more than 100 young climbers per week. The project is hugely supported by an excellent team of coaches and very enthusiastic school principals and teachers. The project has also benefited from partnering with the Mourne Rambler bus service that provides exceptional service bringing many of the children to and from the wall.

youth alpine initiativeFollowing a successful Ireland wide recruitment drive Mountaineering Ireland commenced an intensive training programme in early 2015 for the participants in the Youth Alpine Initiative. This was delivered with the help of a number of volunteer

staff on training weekends and who also attended the Alpine meet. The staff team included full and part-time professional instructors, volunteer leaders and personal practitioners, each bringing a different skill set and unique qualities to add to the success of this volunteer-led initiative. Berghaus provided participants and volunteers with alpine weight waterproof jackets, fleece hats and gloves. Participants were encouraged to be self-driven and directed by organising fundraising, transport, food and personal equipment. They rose to the challenge. In Switzerland in July the participants were enaged in a full 6 day programme. Included in the programme were; ascents of 3000m and 4000m peaks such as the Allalinhorn, Weissmies and Fletschhorn, long multi-pitch routes on the Jegihorn, sport climbing in the valleys,

glacier travel and crevasse rescue. The participants gave a wonderful presentation of their achievements at the Autumn Gathering in October 2015. The next steps for this initiative involve providing access to skills courses such as Mountain Skills, leadership training such as the Single Pitch Award and networking with existing Mountaineering Ireland clubs and outdoor centres which have expertise in climbing and mountaineering and a desire to rejuvenate their club age profile, with youth members. The role of clubs and volunteers is vital by way of an apprenticeship and support for youth mountaineers. The importance of a pathway for these participants must be stressed. The potential of these mountaineers is limitless and their future development and lifelong participation is at the core of this initiative.

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Mountaineering Ireland’s Talent Development programme focuses on delivering the strategic objective:

To provide a talent development pathway to high-performance.

The Talent Development programme aims to achieve this strategic objective by providing:

A talent development system to identify and develop talented young climbers.

The organisation and support of a broad range of climbing competitions.

Support to the personnel who make the programme possible.

In 2015 Mountaineering Ireland’s Talent Development programme continued to develop young climbers to achieve their potential. The Mountaineering Ireland Talent Development Squad established itself as an integral part of the programme. Throughout 2015 Mountaineering Ireland’s range of climbing competitions provided the opportunity for climbers of all ages and abilities to test themselves in a competitive climbing situation. Mountaineering Ireland supported a number of climbers at both senior and junior level at the International Federation of Sports Climbing and UIAA international climbing competitions. The success of the Talent Development programme is largely due to the support of an incredibly dedicated and

hardworking group of climbing coaches, strength and conditioning trainers and route-setters. Mountaineering Ireland recognises the essential roles these people play and endeavours to support them in their development. Mountaineering Ireland would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who make the Talent Development programme possible. Mountaineering Ireland would also like to thank Sport Northern Ireland for its ongoing support of the Talent Development programme through its Performance Focus programme.

talent Development sQuaDThe Mountaineering Ireland Talent Development Squad brings together young climbers who have been identified as having the potential to achieve high performance in climbing. These climbers are selected based on a range of criteria which include personality traits, past performance and parental support.

Members of the Talent Development Squad are bought together for monthly training sessions. Each of these sessions focuses on a theme such as development of climbing movement skills, tactics and mental skills, strength and conditioning, injury prevention, nutrition, lifestyle management as well as other topics relevant to the young climbers.

talent Development

“ the success of the talent Development

programme is largely due to the support of

an incredibly dedicated and hardworking group of climbing

coaches, strength and conditioning trainers

and route-setters. mountaineering ireland

recognises the essential roles these people play

and endeavours to support them in their

development. ”

Coaching at the Talent Development Squad training session is provided by a group of very experienced climbing coaches. These coaches provide feedback to all of the climbers as well as updates to their individual training plans.

Selected members of the Talent Development Squad attend a Talent Development Camp in the bouldering mecca of Fontainebleau, France. These biannual, week long, intensive training camps provide young climbers the opportunity to hone their climbing skills, in particular route-reading and footwork on the amazing sandstone boulders of Fontainebleau.

mountaineerinG irelanD ClimbinG Competitions

2015 saw a steady rise in the overall number of people taking part in Mountaineering Ireland climbing competitions. With sixteen competitions taking place across the season, Mountaineering Ireland offers a wide range of climbing competitions to suit people of almost all ages and abilities. In 2015 the Irish Leading League was introduced to the range of competitions. The Irish Leading League is a grass-roots lead climbing competition, a lead-climbing version of the well-established and popular Irish Bouldering League. The Irish Leading League proved to be popular amongst climbers and should go on to become an established part of the Mountaineering Ireland competition climbing calendar.

2015 also witnessed a noticeable rise in the general standard of climbing across all the competitions. This was especially evident amongst the climbers in the younger age groups. This rise in standard is due in no small part to the excellent quality climbing facilities which are now available throughout Ireland as well as the excellent standard of coaching and route-setting at these facilities. It is now commonplace to see climbers as young as eight years of age competently lead climbing to a high standard at many of the climbing walls. The explosion in the popularity of bouldering has led to exceptional performances being demonstrated by many relatively young and novice climbers. These climbers are climbing grades within a single year of commencing climbing that once took climbers decades to achieve.

international ClimbinG Competitions - ifsC

During 2015 Mountaineering Ireland was represented at the International Federation of Sports Climbing (IFSC) European Youth Cup in the Bouldering discipline by Eoin Acton, Dominic Burns, Sean Hoare and Victoria Watterson. Mountaineering Ireland was represented at the World Youth Climbing Championships by Dominic Burns, Andrew Mawhinney and Sean Hoare. These climbers were supported at the competitions by Mountaineering Ireland Climbing Team Coach Terry O’Connor and Assistant Coach Rob Hunter. Dominic Burns once again put in a number of very strong performances to secure an overall ranking of 10th in the European Youth Cup and 16th at the World Youth Championship. Dominic’s strong performances at these competitions have made him eligible for Sport Northern Ireland’s Athlete Investment Programme funding during 2015. This funding is of great assistance in the funding of Dominic’s competition schedule.

international ClimbinG Competitions - uiaa

Eimir Mc Swiggan represented Ireland at the International Climbing and Mountaineering (UIAA) Ice-Climbing World Tour. Eimir began the 2015 Ice-Climbing World Tour at Cheongsong, South-Korea with a fantastic 8th place.

A string of consistent top 20 results at the three European rounds of the tour gave Eimir an overall rank of 17th in the World. Eimir’s results also made her eligible for receipt of funding under Sport Northern Ireland Athlete Investment Programme.

talent Development personnelFrom teaching a novice young climber the fundamental movement skills of climbing at a local climbing wall or youth climbing club, all the way to supporting climbers at the World Youth Climbing Championships the Talent Development programme is able to achieve its aims with the ongoing support of an amazing group of highly dedicated and experienced group of people.

Mountaineering Ireland aims to support coaches at local climbing walls and volunteer coaches at youth climbing clubs through the provision of the FUNdamentals of Climbing workshops and bespoke coach training workshops.

The Talent Development Coaches; Terry O’Connor, Rob Hunter, Veronica Lee, Jake Haddock, James Hale, Niamh Burke, Claire Comiskey, Kevin Kilroy and Jonathan Redmond, who work with the climbers on the Talent Development Squad are supported to further their personal coaching development through ongoing coach training in the form of coaching workshops, seminars and mentoring by other coaches.

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mountain traininG anD safe praCtiCe

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Mountaineering Ireland’s strategic objective on training and skills development is:

To maintain high standards in mountain training and support skills development.

To this end a suite of awards are provided by highly skilled and motivated instructors. The course providers are moderated, attend workshops and complete continued professional development requirements. As full voting members of Mountain Training, Mountaineering Ireland works closely with all the training boards across the UK and Ireland to maintain the equivalence of the shared awards and provide transferability to holders of these awards.

traininG for Clubs

Club Training Officers are offered over 6 days of training per year. With over 180 clubs, training days provide essential learning opportunities for Club Training Officers, who can disseminate this information to their 10,000+ club members. Training days come in a range of formats:

Club Training Officers workshops

Skills workshops

Regional Club Training meetings

Gatherings and meets

Requested Club training days

skills series

New videos have been produced to build on the existing offerings and meet the needs of today’s learners. The videos are designed to enhance the learning opportunities for candidates, award holders, members and trainers.

funDamentals

The FUNdamentals workshops were created by the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and are administered by the BMC, Mountaineering Council of Scotland and Mountaineering Ireland. These progressive movement skills workshops are aimed at coaches, instructors, award candidates and climbers. They complement all of the climbing awards and are a requirement for the Level 1 Climbing Coach Award.

traininG proviDers

Training new Lowland Leader Award Providers, was a key focus in 2015 and resulted in two LLA induction courses where 18 new providers from across the country, were trained in how to deliver the Lowland Leader Award. Courses are now being delivered by this new cohort and registrations for the award are increasing.

Providers Workshops were delivered by the Training Officer, and are an ideal opportunity for providers to; update, share learnings, develop skills and techniques, suggest changes, discuss teaching and instruction methods and more. Eligible continued professional development (CPD) events, are essential to meet requirements for both providership and award association membership.

The annual Senior Providers workshop

The annual Mountain Skills Providers workshop

Annual Skills Workshops in; climbing, scrambling, hillwalking, teaching navigation, GPS.

traininG the next Generation youth alpine initiative

Facilitating and enabling potential is the reason why Mountaineering Ireland was responsible for the 2015 Youth

“

to this end a suite of awards are provided

by highly skilled and motivated instructors.

the course providers are moderated,

attend workshops and complete continued

professional development requirements. ”

Alpine Initiative, which focused on youth participation and performance in Alpine Mountaineering. The twenty four, 16-19 year old mountaineers selected, took part in four training weekends in Ireland, in preparation for a nine day trip to Saas Grund in the Swiss Alps.

DiGital loG

2015 saw a great deal of continued and new IT development for Mountaineering Ireland. Following the very successful launch of our new online membership system in 2013, the aim had always been to expand on the current functionality and add increased value to our members and providers alike. Summer of 2015 saw the launch of the Digital Log (DLOG) system which is available to all members of Mountaineering Ireland. This online activity logging system is attached to each member’s profile and allows them to record walks and climbs under a variety of headings. Although it’s most obvious use is for those going through any of our awards, the system is also used by those who simply want to keep a personal record of their activities either for their own or indeed club purposes. We will gradually be moving towards entirely online activity logging for all awards over the next few months and early feedback from both members and Providers has been very positive.

Building again on the ability to load courses online, Providers can now use the new online course report facility from the candidate booking stage through to submitting a course report digitally. The online course report function is currently available for all awards except Mountain Skills. We hope to develop and launch a similar online course report facility for this scheme in early 2016.

links with other orGanisations

mountain traininG

Our new DLOG system was based on the current Candidate Management System operated by Mountain Training in the UK. The latter part of 2015 and continuing into early 2016 sees the integration of both systems allowing a transparency of training records for BOS candidates on the UK system. This is particularly useful

for those doing training in one region and assessment in another or indeed any of our candidates who go on to register for the higher awards provided by Mountain Training.

CoaChinG irelanD

There are currently four awards on the Coaching Ireland Adventure Sports Framework, (Lowland Leader Award, Mountain Leader Award, Single Pitch Award and Multi-Pitch Award). The Level One Climbing Coach Award is also on the Coaching Ireland Coaching Framework. 2015 saw work with Coaching Ireland continue and the sharing of candidates results and training details has enabled another layer of quality assurance of these awards. This project is ongoing into 2016, where we plan to create an online system to ease the ability to share award training records for quality assurance purposes.

mountain traininG boarD of irelanD

Considerable progress was achieved by the Working Group during 2015 to integrate both mountain training boards into the new Mountain Training Board of Ireland. The group consisted of representatives of BOS and Mountain Training Northern Ireland. It is expected that the Mountain Training Board of Ireland will come into existence in early 2016.

women with altituDe

Women with Altitude 2015 was held on a glorious weekend in April in Killarney, Co. Kerry. The weather showed the beautiful scenery off to its best and gave us long days to pack lots of activities into. We based ourselves in the Aghadoe hostel just outside Killarney and within easy reach of the Reeks. The aim of the 2015 event moved away from learning brand new skills more towards building on existing skills and taking them a step further. The weekend combined instructional climbing and navigation activities on the Saturday with self-led excursions on the Sunday and again on the Monday. This format saw participants gain confidence throughout the weekend with their peers and take to the hills and crags independently to put into practice what they had learned. Another important element of Women With Altitude is to introduce female role models and this was very effectively achieved by three locally-based members (Maura Kennedy, Catherine Kelly and Fiona Callan) who set the scene on Friday evening through to Sinead Pollock Orr who spoke about her own career and expeditions on Saturday and Ursula MacPherson who shared her recent adventures in the Himalaya with the group on Sunday. 2016 sees Women With Altitude return to Gartan Outdoor Education Centre near Letterkenny in Donegal. We look forward to exploring the Donegal mountains and crags.

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Registrations for training 2015

Award Award Registrations Number of Providers

Mountain Leader Award 94 11

Hill and Moorland Award (WGL) 0 3

Lowland Leader Award 45 *7

Single Pitch Award 69 9

Multi Pitch Award 7 3

Climbing Wall Award 28 5

Climbing Wall Leading Award 7 2

Climbing Coach Level 1 9 2

Mountain Skills Total participation

Mountain Skills 1 671 71

Mountain Skills 2 384 71

Mountain Skills Assessment 181 18

FUNdamentals Total participation

FUNdamentals 1 62 2

FUNdamentals 2 59 2

* 18 new LLA providers in training

COMMUNICATIONS ANd SERVICES

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MOUNTAINEERINg.IE ANd ONlINE MEMbERShIpMountaineering.ie continues to be a valuable resource for both individual and club members. The website offers relevant information, documentation and resources to ensure our members are informed and up to date with Mountaineering Ireland’s activities and endeavours. Mountaineering Ireland’s social media presence continued to grow with the addition of new Mountaineering Ireland video series ranging from topics on the mountain environment, climbing and training, which proved popular with posts reaching more than 125,000 people.

Further developments to the Membership Management System were completed in 2015 primarily on the training functionality with the development of the digital log. This is now available to all members whether they are completing a training course and need to record walks and climbs or for their own personal use. Mountaineering Ireland has ensured that the most appropriate security features have been used to maintain data integrity.

Feedback and suggestions from our members are always welcomed and encouraged to provide an efficient service to our members. Mountaineering Ireland would like to thank all our members for their continued support and commitment to the development of the online system.

ClUb hANdbOOk Our club handbook was launched at the 2015 Autumn Gathering. The handbook was created to provide guidance and support for new and existing clubs on setting up and developing their club with Mountaineering Ireland. This will continue to be a working document available on our website at the following link: http://www.mountaineering.ie/membersandclubs/default.aspx

We encourage all our clubs to engage with the document and indeed provide feedback on the content.

IRISh MOUNTAIN lOg

The Irish Mountain Log continues to be the organisation’s flagship communication tool and is hugely valued by members. The editorial team, led by IML editor Patrick O’Sullivan, continues to set high standards for the publication. As with much of the work undertaken by Mountaineering Ireland, the IML is completed 4 times a year thanks to voluntary effort and voluntary contributions – it is a membership based publication and thanks are due to all those who contribute such excellent articles. Sincere thanks to Patrick O’ Sullivan and the editorial team (Peter O’Neill, Coilin MacLochlainn) who are ably supported by the team in the Mountaineering Ireland Office).

MEMbER gAThERINgS ANd MEETSMountaineering Ireland’s spring, autumn, winter and summer gatherings and meets continue to provide important opportunities for members and the wider mountaineering community to come together and share their passion for the mountains. Personal skills development is an integral part of the winter and summer meets in particular, offering a chance for individuals to progress their personal skills and build their confidence in more challenging terrain.

The Westport Hillwalking Club hosted a wonderful Spring Gathering in early March. The cobwebs were knocked off walk participants in near gale-force winds. The Spring Gathering provided a fitting opportunity to give a warm Mayo farewell to Karl Boyle. In tandem with the Spring Gathering, Mountaineering Ireland held its Annual General Meeting and Members’ Forum. The following proposals were approved

“ The website continues to be a

valuable resource for both individual and club members.

The website offers relevant information,

documentation and resources to ensure our

members are informed and up to date

with Mountaineering Ireland’s activities and endeavours. ”

by the membership (clubs and individual members): the 2014 financial accounts and auditor for 2015; the election of club delegates to full membership and election of representatives to other organisations. The members’ forum provided an opportunity for members to air various issues, including club development, the Irish Mountain Log and membership discounts for larger clubs.

The 2015 Mountaineering Ireland Autumn Gathering was hosted by the Irish Ramblers Club in Glendalough, Co Wicklow in October. The event was hugely enjoyable and the weather was extremely kind for the various organised walks and activities. The Members’ Forum took place on Sunday morning and items discussed included: OSI mapping, club training and development, concerns regarding inappropriate developments and Helping the Hills. The Members’ Forum also included a wonderful presentation by several participants in the Youth Alpine Initiative.

summer anD winter meetsThe 2015 Scottish Winter Meet was extremely well received and courses were delivered in Winter Walking Skills, Winter Mountaineering Skills and Winter Climbing Skills. The Scottish Winter Meet provides the opportunity of progressing skills from year to year.

The Summer Alpine Meet was held in Saas Grund in Switzerland in July 2015. The main meet was preceded by the week long Youth Alpine Initiative. The two-week Summer Alpine meet continues to be a highly successful training opportunity. Participants completed the Introduction to Alpine Mountaineering, Intermediate Mountaineering and Advanced Mountaineering courses. Many others self-organised and took part in various activities including completing long distance walking routes. We also offered a wide range of half-day alpine skills courses.

arChives anD members’ libraryMembers continue to the avail of the Mountaineering Ireland library, which consists of over 3,000 books in total that include the Joss Lynam and the Irish Mountaineering Club collections. Members are able to view the online catalogue through the Mountaineering

Ireland website and email their requests to the office, from where they can either collect the books, or have them posted to them. More books continue to be added to the library, either new books which have been reviewed in the Mountain Log or from members who donate books to the library. We would like to thank all our members who have donated collections to the library in 2015 and encourage all members to continue to use this wonderful extensive collection.

GuiDebooksMountaineering Ireland’s Donegal Rock Climbing Guide authored by Iain Miller was published in late 2015 and officially launched in Letterkenny at an event co-hosted by Donegal County Council on the 8th December 2015. The guidebook is a select guide to rock climbing in Donegal and describes both coastal and inland routes. Detailed colour maps, route explanations and photographs make this an essential source of information for climbing in Donegal. The book is now available for purchase on our online shop on www.mountaineering.ie.

insuranCeThe Mountaineering Ireland policy cover has not changed and detailed certificates are provided to all clubs on renewal. The cover includes €13 million in civil liability cover and limited personal accident cover. A breakdown of insurance cover is available on the insurance pages of the Members and Clubs section of mountaineering.ie. Mountaineering Ireland’s insurance broker is O’Driscoll O’Neil Ltd and the insurance cover was renewed in late 2015 for a further 3 years. It is hoped that the premium for 2016 up to 2018 will remain constant.

Get irelanD walkinGGet Ireland Walking is an initiative of Sport Ireland supported by Healthy Ireland, Mountaineering Ireland and partner organisations. The mission of Get Ireland Walking is to maximise the number of people participating in walking for health, wellbeing and fitness throughout Ireland. It aims to support existing walking groups, as well as, the development of new groups. Furthermore, it aims to unify and enable efforts of recreation, sporting and health promotion agencies interested in promoting walking. 2015 has been a year of strong growth for Get Ireland Walking with expansion of programme areas, and increased communications and collaborations.

In 2015, Get Ireland Walking continued to encourage walking groups to register, and to provide support to registered walking groups. The number of registered walking groups from around the country had grown to over 280 groups by the end of 2015.

Get Ireland Walking supports groups by providing:

Resource packs including high vis vests, hats, 21 Day Walking Challenge cards, Get Active Go Walking leaflets and group walk support forms.

Public liability insurance for community walking leaders.

Support service including email and telephone contact to answer queries on topics such as setting up a new group, training options and clarification on the insurance cover.

The Active Community Walking Programme aims to support the creation of vibrant walking communities

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throughout Ireland. It works with communities to increase the capacity and potential of people with low levels of physical activity to become more active through walking.

2015 saw the roll-out of the pilot phase of the facilitator-led 8-week programme that is delivered at a local level through the Local Sports Partnership network. With the support of Sport Ireland, the implementation of the Active Community Walking Programme is being evaluated on an ongoing basis. To date, 302 community members from 8 regions have been involved in the process. As the programme was in its infancy, a continuous feedback loop of planning and evaluation was carried out throughout the year to resolves issues and improve programme elements. On the 31st March, walking facilitators from 12 selected Sports Partnership Areas attended an Induction Day in Irish Sport HQ. An interactive feedback session on the day resulted in additional resources being prepared for the programme. On the 24th of September, facilitators attended a Support and Feedback Day in Dublin as part of the evaluation of the programme. The day granted Get Ireland Walking an opportunity to gather pragmatic feedback on the implementation of the Active Community Walking Programme. Specific concerns were aired, and a clear plan was put in place, taking into consideration what worked well, and what did not, in the pilot phase. Details of success stories included examples of enhanced community spirit, social benefits such as inclusion of isolated members of the community, and specifics on methods employed to disseminate information about the initiative including segments in local newspapers, church newsletters and posters. Practical considerations moving forward were discussed and will lead to advancements of the Programme into 2016.

The 21 Day Walking Challenge was launched in January 2015 and promoted by the Irish Pharmacy Union. The card with an accompanying poster was distributed by the Irish Pharmacy Union to over 1,600 pharmacies nationwide. The 21 Day Walking Challenge Card continues to be a great resource for people looking to build a routine of daily physical activity. In October 2015, Mountaineering Ireland and Get Ireland Walking shared a stand at the Active Over 50s Show in the RDS. With over 15,000

people attending the event this year, it provided an opportunity to spread the word about Get Ireland Walking. The combined stand showcased the pathway from local community based walking schemes through to trail walking and then up into the hills and mountains. The show provided a valuable opportunity to engage with a great range of people from lapsed hillwalkers to those with low activity levels wishing to get involved with walking for the first time. To promote the expansion of Get Ireland Walking nationwide and increase the capacity of the Get Ireland Walking initiative, links have been made with a number of national and local organisations and initiatives. The outputs of these collaborations are in the initial stages and will be built on in 2016.

Following the departure of Gráinne Quinn in the summer of 2015, Jason King was appointed as National Programme Manager and Michelle Hardie Murphy took up her duties as National Development Officer. The new Get Ireland Walking team are strong advocates of physical activity and health, and they bring with them a wealth of experience. Mountaineering Ireland wishes to express its gratitude to Gráinne Quinn for the energy and commitment she gave to the Get Ireland Walking Programme which provided a fundamental basis for the expansion of the initiative.

The Get Ireland Walking website was enhanced significantly in 2015. The updated site now includes live feeds from Facebook and Twitter with news, stories, advice, useful resources and fact sheets (www.getirelandwalking.ie) / Facebook: www.facebook.com/getirelandwalking / Twitter: @GetIreWalking.

thank youMountaineering Ireland wishes to thank all members and all affiliated clubs for their support in 2015. The work of clubs and individual volunteers throughout Mountaineering Ireland’s membership ensures that the organisation’s reach is far wider than it would otherwise be with the financial and human resources available to the organisation. It highlights the passion that members have for the sport and the resource base we use.

external representationMountaineering Ireland is represented on the following organisations:Coillte Social and Environmental Panels Comhairle Na TuaitheDublin Mountains InitiativeGaltee Steering GroupIrish Adventure Sports Training TrustIrish Uplands ForumLand Matters Task Force NI Leave No Trace IrelandLeitrim Walking Working GroupMountaineering Coordination Group (UK and Ireland)Mountain Training NIMountain TrainingMountain Rescue IrelandNational Coordinating Committee for Cave & Mountain RescueNational Outdoor Recreation Forum (NI) National Trails Advisory CommitteeNorthern Ireland Environment LinkSTOP Mountain Scramblers (Cooley Mountains)UIAA Access CommissionUIAA Mountain Protection CommissionWicklow Mountains National Park CouncilWicklow Uplands Council

affiliationsMountaineering Ireland is affiliated to the following organisations: European Ramblers AssociationFederation of Irish SportsInternational Federation of Sports ClimbingIrish Uplands Forum Leave No Trace IrelandNorthern Ireland Environmental LinkNorthern Ireland Sports ForumUnion Internationale des Association d’Alpinisme (UIAA)Wicklow Uplands Council

workinG relationshipsIn addition to the above, during 2015 we worked with the following organisations:Awesome WallsBelfast Hills PartnershipBirdwatch Ireland Boulder World BelfastBritish Mountaineering Council Coaching IrelandCOAT (Cairngorm Outdoor Access Trust)CoillteCoiste Forbartha Dhún LúicheComharchumann Dhúiche Sheoigheach TeoCounty Wicklow PartnershipDonegal County CouncilDublin Mountains PartnershipEuropean Forum on Nature Conservation and PastoralismFáilte IrelandFix the FellsGanaway Activity CentreGartan Outdoor Education CentreGeological Survey of Northern IrelandGortatole Outdoor Education CentreGravity Climbing CentreHeritage CouncilInstitute of Technology SligoIrish Cattle & Sheep Farmers AssociationIrish Creamery Milk Suppliers AssociationIrish Farmers AssociationIrish Girl GuidesIrish Sports CouncilLeenane Development AssociationLocal Sports PartnershipsMacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access ForumMardyke Arena CorkMountaineering Council of Scotland Mountain MeithealMountain Rescue IrelandMountain Research IrelandMountainViewsMourne Heritage TrustMurrisk Development AssociationNational Parks & Wildlife ServiceNational Trails OfficeNorthern Ireland Environment AgencyOrdnance Survey IrelandOutdoor Recreation Northern IrelandPetersburg Outdoor Education CentreRing of Gullion Landscape Partnership Scheme Rural Recreation Section, Department of Environment, Community & Local Government

Scouting IrelandSouth Tipperary Development CompanySport Northern IrelandTeagascTollymore National Outdoor CentreTrinity College Dublin ArchivesUniversity of UlsterWaterford City & County CouncilWicklow County Council

list of Clubs affiliateD to mountaineerinG irelanD (As of December 2015) 4 A’s Walking ClubACARA Trekking ClubAmerican Womens Club HillwalkersAonach ar Siul (Nenagh Hillwalkers)Arklow and Wicklow HillwalkersAshbourne HillwalkersAthlone Walking ClubAwesome Walls Staff ClubB.A.R.F.Ballyduff Upper Walking ClubBallyhoura Bears Walking ClubBallymac-Glanageenty RamblersBallyvaughan Fanore Walking ClubBandon Walking ClubBank of Ireland Hill Walking ClubBanner Mountaineering ClubBantry Walking ClubBeanna Beola Hillwalking ClubBelturbet Walks and Heritage GroupBishopstown Orienteering & Hillwalking ClubBlackrock Hillwalking ClubBlackstairs RamblersBlarney Walking GroupBlayney RamblersBogtrotters Hillwalking ClubBootleggers Hillwalking ClubBoyle Curlew Hillwalkers ClubBushcraft ClubCarraig Dubh Climbing ClubCarran Walking ClubCavan Monaghan Climbing ClubCavan WalkersCIE Hill WalkersClare Outdoor ClubClonakilty Hill Walking ClubClondalkin Hillwalking ClubClub CualannClub Siúlóide Chonamara TheasCobh Hill Walking ClubCoconuts Hillwalking ClubColaiste Pobail SetantaColmcille Climbers ClubComeragh Mountaineering ClubCork Backpackers ClubCork Climbing ClubCork Climbing Co-OpCork International Hiking SocietyCork Mountaineering ClubCork Youth Climbing ClubCrannagh RamblersCroom Abu Walking ClubCrosshaven Walking GroupCrows HillwalkersCumann Siul Cois CoiribeCumann Sleibhteoireachta an Leith TriuighCumann Sleibhteoireachta Annascaul WalkersCumann Sleibhteoireachta Chorca Dhuibhne / DingleHCDal RiadaDCU Rockclimbing ClubDefence Force Association of MountaineersDIT Mountaineering ClubDonegal Co Co Hills & Trails Walking ClubDublin Cliffhangers Climbing ClubDublin University Climbing Club (Trinity College)Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue TeamDungarvan Hillwalking ClubDunmanway Hillwalking ClubEnniscrone Walking ClubESB HillwalkersEvolution Climbing ClubFerrard RamblersFineos HillwalkersFitzamblersFoxford Ramblers Walking ClubFoyle Hillwalking and Rambling ClubGaltee Walking ClubGalway Climbing Co-OperativeGalway Walking ClubGarda Mountaineering ClubGlenwalkGrange Con Ramblers Hill Walking ClubGrey Lake Ramblers

GWATS - Gearagh Walkers and TalkersHanging Rockers Climbing ClubHibernia Bushcraft (Assoc. Org.)Hillwalkers ClubImaal WalkersIRD Duhallow Hillwalking ClubIrish Christian Hillwalking ClubIrish Geological AssociationIrish Mountaineering ClubIrish Ramblers ClubKenmare Walking ClubKilcoran Trecking ClubKillarney Mountaineering ClubKilmacthomas Walking ClubKiltipper RamblersKinsale College Mountaineering ClubKnockadosan Hill WalkersLaune Mountaineering ClubLee Hillwalking & Mountaineering ClubLetterkenny IT Hillwalking SocietyLimerick Climbing ClubLung GompasMallow Walking ClubMarley Hillwalking ClubMaumturks Walking ClubMaynooth Hillwalking ClubMevagh RamblersMid Tipp HillwalkersMidleton Climbing ClubMidleton Hillwalking ClubMountain MeithealMuintir na SleibhteMullaghareirk RamblersN.U.I. Galway Mountaineering ClubNa CnocadóiríNa CoisitheNavan TrekkersNire Valley Bogtrotters Walking ClubNorth West Mayo HillwalkersNorth West Mountaineering ClubNorth West Youth Climbing TeamOldtown Road TrailbreakersOut and AboutOx Mountain RamblersOyster Walking ClubPeaks Mountaineering ClubPoolbeg RamblersRainbow Hillwalking ClubRathgormack Climbing ClubRathgormack RamblersRiverstick RamblersRoscrea RamblersRosway WalkersSavage Craic Climbing ClubShanganagh RamblersSiul Walking ClubSiultoiri BuadainSkibbereen Walking GroupSlane StridersSleibh Mor Outdoor Sports ClubSliabh Luachra Hillwalking ClubSlieve Aughty Walking ClubSligo Mountaineering ClubSligo Walking ClubSneem Walking ClubSpartan Red Sox Walking ClubSperrins Hillwalking ClubSt. Kevins CollegeSwilly Hiking ClubThe Feel Good FactorThe GoyaGangThe Leinster Explorers Hillwalking ClubThe N51 TrekkersThe TEAM ProjectThe Trekkers Mountaineering ClubTinahely Walking ClubTralee Mountaineering ClubTredagh TrekkersTrinity College Hiking SocietyTullow Mountaineering ClubTyndall Mountain ClubUCD Mountaineering ClubUlster University Jordanstown Mountaineering ClubUniversity College Cork Mountaineering ClubUpper LimitsWalkers with AltitudeWayfarers AssociationWest Clare Walking ClubWestport HillwalkersWexford Hillwalking and Mountaineering ClubWinders Climbing ClubWoolgreen Walking Club

(E&OE)

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Mountaineering Ireland Sléibhteoireacht éireann

Irish Sport HQ, National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland Telephone 00 353 (0)1 6251115 email: info@mountaineering.ie website: www.mountaineering.ie

Tollymore Outdoor Centre, Bryansford, Newcastle, County Down, BT33 0PT, Northern Ireland Telephone (+44) (0)28 4372 5354